Napa Auto Parts Hockey Team Says No To Racism

UPDATE: DECEMBER 17, 2010

Coach Gary Walsh has been suspended for the rest of the season by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.

The OMHA admitted in its statement that racial slurs had been made, as they referenced the offender's remorse. That being said, the OMHA stated that since none of the game officials heard the comments themselves, and appropriate penalty could not be dealt out during the game.

The OMHA also maintains that Walsh's actions were in direct violations of league rules, and therefore, the season suspension is justified. There has not yet been a statement released by Walsh.

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A minor hockey team from Peterborough, Ontario has seen it's coach suspended indefinitely for pulling his hockey team out of a game at the beginning of the third period to show solidarity for a black teammate that faced racial slurs from their opponents.

During the game, a player from each team received a penalty. While in the box, the Napa Auto Parts player, who happens to be black, was being trash talked by his competitor and was called a negative, racist term.

There appeared to be no real repercussions for the player that was doing the name calling, and so, upon the start of the third period, when the young man who was making racial slurs took to the ice, the Napa Auto Parts team left the ice en masse and refused to finish the game, in a show of support for their black team mate.

This is not the first time this particular player faced racism. A similar incident occurred 2 years ago. Ever since then, the team has had a no tolerance policy on racism, and this was their chosen course of action.

Gary Walsh, coach of the team vigorously defended his players move and supported it whole heartedly. He knew what incident had occurred as soon as he seen the look on young Allan McCullum's face. He asked the player what had happened.

Both players had been removed from play for the remainder of the period, which seems to me, to be punishing the victim as well.

Gary Walsh also disagreed with the punishments and so his team walked. Hockey Canada, the governing body of the league was apparently not impressed, and suspended Walsh.

To give credit when it's due, the opposing team's coach suspended himself for three games, as well as the offending player.

However, Hockey Canada has yet to make an official statement, and Walsh faces a review inquiry by the governing body and a potential 1 year ban on coaching hockey. But Walsh doesn't care.

"It was the right thing to do, and I would do it again in a heartbeat," he said.